Castlebar man is put off the road for 16 years for litany of offences

A motorist has been banned for 16 years for a litany of offences. 

Mark Maughan, aged 34, of 48 Cois Abhainn, Castlebar, pleaded guilty at the local district court to driving without insurance, drunk driving and refusing to provide a sample on separate dates.

The court heard that Gda Deborah Gilroy and Gda Conor Guckian were on patrol on March 15, 2023, when they observed Maughan driving a Toyota Avensis on the Moneen Road in Castlebar. The car was "traversing over and back on the white line". They stopped the vehicle and Gda Gilroy spoke to Maughan who had a strong smell of alcohol on his breath. He was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving and taken to Castlebar Garda Station where he refused to give a breath sample, stating: “I don’t give a f**k, you are getting nothing from me.” 

Gda Liam Dever told the court that on November 29, 2023, he observed the defendant driving a car in the Cois Abhainn area of Castlebar. and spoke to him. The defendant admitted to drinking alcohol earlier in the day. He failed a roadside breath test and was arrested for drunk driving. A blood test revealed a reading of 107 milligrammes of alcohol per 100ml of blood. The legal limit is 50 milligrammes. 

Maughan had no driving licence and failed to produce insurance. He has 10 previous convictions.

Solicitor Gary Mulchrone said his client, a married father of one, is apologetic and suffers from chronic anxiety to such an extent his wife picks up his jobseekers' allowance.

Judge Vincent Deane imposed two eight-year driving bans to run consecutively, as well as fines totalling €800.